2024 Eddie Soens: preview and startlist

Aintree racecourse has seen some of the most memorable moments in British sport as the home of the Grand National, Britain’s biggest horse race, since 1829, and host of the Formula One British Grand Prix on five occasions. Also part of British cycling history, this Saturday (9 March) sees the 62nd running of the prestigious Eddie Soens Memorial at the famous Merseyside venue.

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What is it?

Raced on the 2.1km (1.3 mile) ‘club course’, the Eddie Soens Memorial is a 87km (54 mile) handicap race, with riders divided into groups and set off at intervals based on their British Cycling licence category. First off is a ‘women, 4th category, and junior 3/4’ group, followed by ‘3rd cat and Junior 1/2’ riders. The 2nd cat entrants are next, followed by the scratch group made up of Elite and 1st category riders.

The race is a traditional season opener and the list of winners reads like a who’s who of British cycling – Steve Cummings won as a junior in 1999, with more recent victors including Russell Downing and Ed Clancy.

The course

Pan flat, flowing and closed to traffic, the course promises to deliver flat out racing. With a strong easterly wind of around 23km/h (14mph) predicted, the weather could dictate proceedings, as seen in previous editions, and on a similar closed circuit at the Royal Navy Cup last weekend. 

Riders to watch

Handicaps are never straightforward affairs to predict, and riders given a head-start will be looking to maximise their advantage, akin to Tyler Hannay at the Clayton Spring Classic last month. The scratch group is set to contain only 15 riders, making their task all the more difficult; tired legs and a lack of cohesion inevitable, even once they’ve caught the other groups. 

The 3rd and Junior 1/2 group can expect a hefty advantage to play with and contains at least two riders at opposite ends of the age spectrum with ambitions to take victory. Matt Bottrill (Team Bottrill) won on his return to time trialling last weekend and claimed a memorable solo victory in similar conditions in 2019 in this race as a 41-year-old, 21 years after first winning it. Joining the veteran is promising first year junior Seth Jackson, who makes his debut for the Belgian Willebrord Wil Vooruit outfit, one of the most successful junior teams in Europe. An excellent U17 season saw him post eye-catching results both at home and abroad. 

John Archibald (Huub-WattShop) is the headline name in the 2nd category group. The former Eolo-Kometa professional makes a rare appearance at a road race, having sporadically raced time trials over the past two years. The Scot has the potential to make the race his own, although his form is a mystery. He is joined by John Bardsley (360Cycling), who impressed at the Clayton Spring Classic as the only rider able to follow Tyler Hannay’s race winning attack, finishing in 4th place.

All eyes will be on Matthew Bostock and Jim Brown in the scratch group, the pair making their debut for the new Ribble Rebellion team. Bostock is a former national circuit race champion and joined the pro ranks with Bolton Equities Black Spoke last year, coming close to victory in a bunch sprint at the 2.Pro Tour of Langkawi. Brown spent most of 2023 with the French Cross Team Legendre team following the closure of AT85 Pro Cycling in March, returning to Britain to take the win at the Dudley GP in July. 

Huw Buck Jones (USKIS Saint Piran) enjoyed an excellent first season as an U23 last year, kicking off 2024 with an impressive 5th place at the Portsdown Classic last month, while Alex Beldon (Trinity Racing) was 8th at Portsdown, the first year U23 enjoying success in both Britain and Spain as a junior.